


I Wanna Hold Your Hand

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Starting Over [2]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2011-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-27 14:03:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/296642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oh God, he hardly knew how to date; Hotch had no earthly idea how to have a sex life.  He definitely wanted to but he was clueless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Wanna Hold Your Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Holy smokes, people read the first story. Color me happily surprised. I was even more surprised that they came back so soon. I’m starting to really like Beth in my head. I hope I get more reasons to like her in canon soon.

He opened the door wearing a jovial look on his face. That made Emily smile as she walked in.

“I don’t know how to thank you for this.” Hotch said.

“Don’t be silly. I'm happy to do it.”

“Thank you. Jack, Agent Emily is here.”

“Agent Emily!” Jack came running out of his room.

“Jack attack!”

Even though he was getting bigger by the second, she lifted him over her head, back down, and covered him in kisses. His insane laughter made his father smile.

“You're going to kill your back, Prentiss.” He said.

“You're probably right but I don’t mind.”

“I just really appreciate you doing this. I wanted to give Jessie a little time; she has a little one of her own now.”

“I know…and you’ve already told me how much you appreciate me. Get out of here or you're going to be late.”

“Right. Jack had dinner already but there's plenty to eat and drink if you'd like. Bedtime is 8:30 at the latest. We’re reading one chapter of Peter Pan a night. Um…”

“Hotch, I've watched Jack before and have it all under control. Please leave.”

“OK.” Hotch smiled, laughing nervously. “Jack, I want you to be good for Agent Emily.”

“I will Daddy.” He clung to Emily’s neck as she was still carrying him. “Go, go, go!”

“Alright buddy, I'm going. Emily, I’ll be back by eleven.”

Hotch kissed Jack’s cheek, thanked Emily again, and then grabbed his coat before leaving. Emily just smiled; she’d never seen her Unit Chief so undone. This woman must've had the potential to be very special. She was happy for Hotch though her reason for babysitting Jack was slightly more selfish. Emily adored the little boy.

“So...what do we do first, Jack?”

“Truck wars!” he exclaimed.

“What?” Emily put him down as they walked into the living room. “You didn’t have enough when I creamed you last time?”

“I creamed you, Agent Emily! And I'ma do it again too.”

“Well bring it!” Emily put her hands on her hips.

“I will. You can be Megatron.”

“OK.” Emily went over to the toy box and grabbed the giant Transformer. Jack went into his room to get Optimus Prime.

“You ready, Agent Emily?”

“Oh yeah buddy; lets do this.”

***

He was almost 20 minutes late and Hotch was mumbling to himself about how bad this was as he did a jog around campus. It was raining, dark, and the place was only slightly familiar to him. There were plenty of students around but Hotch didn’t have to ask for directions. He’d gotten them online days ago, looking over them until they were memorized. Soon enough, McNeir Auditorium was in his view. So was a giant yellow umbrella that he was sure was her. There was something about Beth; Hotch thought she would stand out in any crowd.

“I'm so sorry.” He said as he put his umbrella down and stepped under hers.

“Its alright.” She kissed his cheek. “I got your text. Running late, not standing you up I promise. That made me smile.”

“Well I'm not supposed to text and drive so that’s the best I could do at a red light. I left the house late, which was entirely my fault. Traffic was worse than usual and parking even worse than traffic. I didn’t think…”

“Stop.” Beth put her finger on his lips. “You're here now and that’s what matters. C'mon, we don’t want to miss the movie.”

“Right.” Hotch nodded. He slipped his arm in hers as they walked over. “I hope you weren't waiting too long out here in the cold.”

“I was inside for a while but I came out so you’d know I was here. I’m really glad injustice took the week off, Aaron.”

Hotch smiled as he held the door for her.

“I can't quite say it took the week off; more like a day or two.” He replied.

“How lucky for us that it was the right day.”

“Definitely.”

000

“I’d never seen the movie before but I thought it was great.” Hotch said. “The 1970s had some very provocative and well written films. Things they were doing then they won't do now because they have to be so PC. I'm sorry that we missed the discussion at the beginning.”

“It’s alright Aaron.” Beth said, walking out of the door that he held for her. “I’ll be back here for a showing of _The Pelican Brief_ with my friend Mel. The discussion before will be about an hour with a very special surprise guest. We’re both crossing our fingers and toes that it’s Denzel Washington.”

“You're a Denzel Washington fan?”

“Are you kidding? I'm like the Annie Wilkes of Denzel Washington fans.” Beth said. Then she paused. “Not that I would ever kidnap him and break his ankles so he couldn’t escape or anything. I just…OK, there's really no place for me to go with the psycho fan thing, is there?”

“Not really.” He laughed. “Sorry.”

They were walking, Hotch’s arm linked with hers, and she liked the way he laughed. Yes, she made an ass of herself but it probably wouldn’t be the last time.

“Let’s just say I'm a big fan. I'm looking forward to Sunday.”

“What's your favorite film of his?”

“It’s _Philadelphia_ , without a doubt. I watch it and cry like a baby. _Ricochet_ is second and _Fallen_ is third. But that might just be because he’s in his underwear and Donald Sutherland is in it. I get to double my pleasure.”

“You're definitely a fan when you have a Top Three.” Hotch said.

“I know right?” Beth laughed.

“Do you have a favorite actress?”

“I'm not sure. I dislike more actresses than I like. Often in Hollywood it seems as if the men have to be at least 70% talented. All most the women these days have to do is look good in slinky dresses. If I had to pick I would say Lee Remick.”

“Oh, you went old school.”

“Yeah.” she nodded. “She could convey so much with just her eyes or a quirk of her lips. Have you ever seen _The Omen_ or _The Days of Wine and Roses_? Her acting in those films is top notch. When I was a little girl, I had blonde hair. One day I took a red magic marker, streaked it through, ran to my mother and told her I was Lee Remick.” Beth laughed. “I could just have a girl crush on her because she's a redhead. I won't deny it.”

“Girl crush?” Hotch raised an eyebrow.

“That’s when a woman has a crush on another woman.”

“So my mother was right when she told me that I’d learn something new everyday.”

“I could teach you a lot of things, Aaron. But there's a catch.”

“What?” one word and he had to stumble over it didn’t he?

“You'd have to teach me things too.”

“OK.”

Hotch wanted to say something else but found himself a bit tongue tied. Was it just a man thing for his mind to immediately go to the gutter when hearing something like that? Of course Beth’s tone definitely changed when she said teach her things. Oh God, he hardly knew how to date; Hotch had no earthly idea how to have a sex life. He definitely wanted to but was clueless. Whatever happened Beth could never find that out.

“Where are we going?” Beth asked. She stopped walking. They were still on Georgetown’s campus but not far from the entrance on 37th Street.

“I don't know…I was following you.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” Hotch nodded.

Beth laughed and then she kissed him. Just like that; no pomp, circumstance, or warning. It was tender, and relatively chaste, but it was still a kiss. Hotch liked it. He wanted more but showed some decorum.

“We could get a drink and a bite.” She suggested. “This is my neighborhood…I know all the good places.”

“What time is it?” Hotch looked at his watch.

“I know it’s a school night and…”

“No, I just…” he sighed, thinking of what to say next. “I have a sitter but she's there until eleven so I have time.”

“Great.” Beth was smiling again, this time slipping her arm in his. “There's this great dive called The Cougar Lounge over on 36th and L. Back in the 1950s and 60s it was a members only burlesque club; at least that was the rumor. It never changed the name when it switched management in 1971.”

“That sounds good. Are we walking?”

“It’s a lovely night and I love walking in this city.”

Hotch didn’t mind either and they started their journey. The silence between them was comfortable; he liked the way she held his arm. The babysitter bomb had been dropped but Beth hadn't called him on it yet. He wasn’t sure if he should say something else about it or leave well enough alone.

The truth of the matter was that he was a single dad. Whether that was something Hotch needed to say immediately or hold onto, he wasn’t sure. Jack wasn’t going to be a part of this right now. Beth was still a stranger and he didn’t think he would be comfortable talking about his son anyway.

“How old are your kids, Aaron?” she broke the silence and his train of thought.

“Oh no, I just have one. He’s six years old.”

“That’s an awesome age. There are a million questions, which lead to a million more. They want to build, explore, ask, and tell…the adventure never ends. I love it.”

“You have children?” Hotch was hopeful.

“No, but I am the world’s best Aunt. My brother and sister-in-law have two sons and a daughter. I want them someday before I'm too old but having a family is important to me. My mother says I'm going to be a great mom and I believe that. Still, I remember how huge my father was in my life and I want to do my best to give that to my children if I can.”

“Family is very important.” Hotch replied.

“And it surely comes in all shapes and sizes.” Beth said. “I just want my special version before I bring kids into my life. Of course I can say with certainty that I don’t want to give up a chance to be a mother. That’s for real and my version of something else might just be a dream.”

“I understand that.”

“You do? That’s great because I tend to ramble when I get on a roll.”

“I know my share of ramblers. I'm keeping up.”

“I don’t want to steal the whole conversation. Tell me something about you, Aaron.”

“Well Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep are my favorite actor and actress.”

“I love Dustin Hoffman. _Tootsie_ is such a great film. And the theme, Stephen Bishop…” Beth did a move like she was swooning. “It’s amazing.”

“ _It Might Be You_ was actually my sister-in-law’s wedding song.” Hotch replied.

“Wow, she's a lucky girl. That’s a great song.”

When they got to The Cougar Lounge they sat in one of the semi-circular leatherette booths. Beth ordered the basket of fries with a seven and seven. Hotch got a bottle of Sam Adams.

“I discovered this place in grad school.” she said. “Apparently it’s been around, in one incarnation or another, since Truman was in office. DC is such a great city with a colorful history. I soak up all the information I can.”

“I considered moving to the city after my divorce but chose Alexandria instead.” Hotch said. “I realized that I wasn’t going to be jumping into a happening nightlife.”

“I thought you were a widower, Aaron.”

Beth was taken aback when she heard the word divorce. Not because it was rare but because he told her before that his wife died. Who would make up something like that? Which one was it…divorced or widowed? Could it even be that he was still married? The thought made her stomach hurt.

“I am; I'm also divorced. The story is complicated.”

“Could we try the uncomplicated, abridged version?” she asked. “I'm sorry but I'm a little rattled by your two different marital statuses.”

Hotch nodded, understanding perfectly. He had to try to tell this quickly and in as few details as possible. He took a deep breath, thanking the waitress when she returned with his beer.

“My wife filed for divorce in 2007. So I was divorced for two years. I still loved her, loved my son, but my workload became too much for her to bear. Then two years later she passed away. We weren't together anymore but…I still loved her.”

“I understand that.” she took his hand again. She loved the weight of it and the feel of his fingers. “I came really close to getting married once.”

“How close?’ Hotch asked, relieved once again that he’d made it once again through the Haley portion of the conversation.

“He broke it off two weeks before the big day. He told me that he was in love with someone else and couldn’t do this to me or to himself.”

“Wow.” Hotch exhaled the word. “How long ago was that?”

“I was 32 so,” she covered her mouth. “Years ago.”

“Oh right,” he laughed some. “Never ask a woman her age or dress size.”

“Exactly.” Beth sipped her drink. “Mmm, I love this place; they never water down the drinks.”

The waitress brought out their French fries. Hotch thanked her and tasted one. The seasoning was delicious.

“These are great.” He said.

“I know. I really love this place; it’s always been my little dive getaway.”

“Do you bring all of your potential boyfriends here?” he asked, his dimples showing. Did he really just call himself her potential boyfriend? Was that jumping the gun? He didn’t want to over think everything…it was out there now.

“Oh no, only the really cute ones. I promise.”

***

Hotch opened his front door and saw Emily relaxing on the couch.

“Hey there.” she smiled. “Did you have a nice evening?”

“I did.” He nodded. “Was Jack good?” he hung up his coat as Emily nodded.

“We had a blast as always. I creamed him in Truck Wars though he might say differently. He took the smack down like a little man.” She smiled. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Good.”

Emily stood, started to gather up her things.

“Emily?”

“Yeah?”

“You're…” Hotch sighed. “This might sound strange but you're back from the dead.”

“Yes I am.” She nodded.

“What are you doing about it?” he asked.

Emily gave him a little smile. Two dates in and he was going to tell her how to live her life better. While a part of her wanted to be pissed, she knew it was coming from a place of caring.

“I'm doing something, don’t worry.” She replied.

“OK. I just…you're an amazing person and my six year old shouldn’t be the only one who knows that.”

“Well it sounds like his dad does too.” Emily said.

“Yeah.” Hotch nodded.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Emily.”

She grabbed her coat, buttoned up, and left the condo. Hotch checked on Jack; he was sound asleep. He was sure that Emily wore him out. Kissing him, Hotch pulled the covers up and left the room. In the living room while pouring himself a drink, Hotch’s iPhone buzzed. It was a text message.

‘ _Home safely. Tonight was great_.’—Beth

Hotch made his bourbon and water before typing out a reply.

‘ _I had fun too. How about bicycles and coffee/tea on Saturday_?’—Aaron

He was relaxing on his couch when the reply came through. Hotch had the National Geographic Channel on low volume, had kicked off his shoes, and put his feet up.

‘ _That sounds like a plan. Same bat time, same bat place_?’—Beth

‘ _Yes. I’ll see you then_.’—Aaron

‘ _Goodnight Aaron_.’—Beth

‘ _Goodnight_.’—Aaron

Hotch put his phone on the side table. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. Despite an aversion to public displays of affection, he and Beth shared two incredible kisses outside of The Cougar Lounge. He hardly wanted to stop but she showed restraint.

“Second date kiss.” he whispered, his lips still close to hers. “Check.”

“Double check.” She whispered back.

Hotch gave her a third, sweet kiss on the lips. When Beth moved out of his arms, she was wearing a big smile.

“This is probably a good place to end this.” She said.

“Are you on the train again? I’ll walk you.”

“Actually, I don’t live that far from here so I'm just going to walk.”

“OK. Could you text me so I know you got in OK?”

“Yeah.” Beth nodded. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Goodnight, Aaron.”

“Goodnight.”

And yet they stood there. They just stood under the big yellow umbrella holding hands. It was chilly and rainy but they didn’t move. Hotch was surprised, and turned on, when Beth raised his hand to her lips. He definitely didn’t see that coming.

“I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes.” Hotch replied nodding. He didn’t know when because his schedule was ridiculous. How did busy people make time for this kind of thing? _Please_ , he said to himself, _let her be understanding. Don’t let her pretend to be understanding, let it be real_. “And you'll text when you're home safely?”

“Mmm hmm. Its perfectly OK if you stand here after I walk away and think of me a little.” She said, unable to hold back another full watt grin.

“I'm taking that under advisement.”

Beth finally let go of his hand and walked away. Putting up his umbrella, Hotch watched her until she was out of his field of vision. Then he walked back to the overpriced lot where his SUV was parked. He wasn’t just taking thinking about her under advisement; it seemed as if she was in his mind to stay at the moment.

This was new to him but Hotch was doing his best. Date #2 had been a success. That’s what he would focus on. It would help him fall asleep with a smile on his face. That was a bit new to him as well.

***


End file.
